Greed
The Grasping Collector
The story behind this word
Greed (avaritia) was painted as blindness: a hoarder surrounded by full chests, unable to see what he already holds. Dante matched the greedy against the wasteful in his fourth circle, rolling weights at one another — the tradition understood excess and deficiency as one failure in two directions. When psychologists studied dispositional greed, they found a similar picture: the trouble is not how much one has, but a finish line for "enough" that keeps moving. That is what this dimension measures.
A tendency to want more and hold on tighter, even after enough has arrived.
Greed often answers a quieter question — "will there be enough later?" — a question that once made sense.
When Greed is high
A strong drive to accumulate more. Ambition is useful, but noticing when 'enough' is enough protects your peace.
When Greed is low
You're content with what you have and rarely chase more than you need.
Everyday signals
The higher this score climbs, the more these tend to show up:
- The finish line for "enough" keeps moving
- Wins feel flat within hours
- Holding opportunities you don't actually want
The healthy middle
Ambition with a defined "enough" goes further than endless accumulation.
One question to ask yourself
What number or moment would tell me I have enough?
One small practice
Write down your "enough" — concretely — and reread it when the want spikes.
The psychology behind it
Dispositional greed is a studied trait, linked to lower life satisfaction and more compulsive buying (Seuntjens et al., 2015).
The other side of the axis
- GenerosityThe Giver
All 14 dimensions
Curious where you land? Take the free 42-question test.
This test is for educational and self-reflection purposes only. It is not a diagnostic tool and makes no moral judgment. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Veselka, L., Giammarco, E. A., & Vernon, P. A. (2014). The Dark Triad and the seven deadly sins. Personality and Individual Differences, 67, 75-80.
